October 12, 2023 By Holly Moriarty
The day started with gold and ended with silver—with another silver in between—for the Hingham High School Crew team at the New England Junior, High School & Master Championship Regatta in Worcester last Sunday. Coming off four medals at the Textile River Regatta the previous weekend, both boys and girls crews continue to shine across the board, with the girls second novice boat taking gold and the girls first novice and boys first varsity crews earning silver medals.
“What another great weekend!” said Sydney Blasetti, head coach of the girls HHS Crew team. “It is so awesome to see our team succeeding. Although the wind was high, our athletes rose to the challenge and took the course with confidence. I am proud of every person on our team!”
The crews competed in 4,200 meter races on Lake Quinsigamond against high schools and juniors programs from across New England. While the day was sunny and crisp, strong crosswinds and some choppy water added an extra challenge for the athletes.
The girls second novice boat kicked off the day for Hingham on a high—winning gold. The crew placed first with Shrewsbury High School 11 seconds behind and Bedford High School, a minute and 14 seconds later. Emily Gu coxed the girls 2N with Dillon Turner in stroke seat, Natalie Shaw, Lauren Newth, Elsie Olin, Kaylee Araujo, Annie Sargent, Riley Stocks, and Eva O’Sullivan in bow.
“At the start, I was nervous, but I had confidence in our team,” said Emily Gu, sophomore and coxswain of the second novice crew. “While racing down the course, I could feel the rowers pulling with power and moving together rhythmically. I’m proud of our performance, and I look forward to see what we will bring for next weekend!”
Sophomore Dillon Turner, stroke seat of the second novice boat, added, “We were flexible and worked super hard to get to the position we are in now. With most people in our boat just learning how to row only a few weeks ago, our progress has been amazing, and I cannot wait to see how the rest of the season goes!”
The girls third novice crew competed in the same race, placing sixth after Glastonbury High School and Arlington Belmont. Rowers included stroke Rose Lovendale, followed by Hayley Kost, Sophia Peregrine, Maddie Cleary, Lexi Messina, Mae Mahoney, Stella Gutierrez, and in bow Shayla St. Croix, with coxswain Octavia Atkins.
After earning gold at the Textile River Regatta the weekend before, the girls first novice boat followed up with silver at New England Juniors, placing second in a field of 14 boats, and first among the high school crews. Community Rowing Inc. (CRI) took first, with Bedford High School in third.
Sophomore Thea Migliaccio, rowing in the first novice stroke seat, said, “The N1 boat put in so much work on and off the water last week. Knowing we came from a win in the last regatta, we worked extra hard to come home with a second win. Our boat has improved so much, and I can’t wait to see what the rest of the season brings us.”
“We had a great race this weekend and last,” added Audrey Smith, sophomore and coxswain of the girls first novice boat. “Despite the challenging conditions, we were able to navigate a tough course and tough competition. I am excited to see our growth this season as we push to get better on and off the water.”
Audrey Smith coxed Thea Migliaccio, Jesse Tennebo, Aubrey Fairfield, Eliza Powers, Bianca Kiley, Jane Melia, Maddie Owens, and in bow, Emme Beaudoin, for the girls first novice crew.
“We are all proud of our novice boats, who did so well this past weekend,” said Genevieve Vale, senior and captain on the HHS Crew team. “It is amazing that our team has so many novices this year, and the sheer talent exuding from the novies has been a great motivator for the varsity crews as well.”
The boys novice crew raced next, placing tenth among 19 boats, and seventh of the high school crews. Michael Catalfano rowed in stroke seat followed by Noah Rawoof, Oisin Rowan, Will Watts, Liam Govoni, Jack Webb, Aedan Sullivan, and in bow Zakary Robbins, with coxswain Lucas Mangili.
“While this past weekend’s race was a larger and a more competitive field than the last one, the boys were unfazed, keeping their focus throughout, and continuing to find that connection and cohesiveness,” said Abi Kornet, novice coach of the boys HHS Crew team. “They made some discoveries and that’s what this is all about—building on the previous race, learning what works and what doesn’t, and being excited to get back on the water to make the changes. They are trusting the process, and I’m proud of the team for coming together as they gain experience.”
Hingham’s boys third varsity boat came out strong in a crowded start area, remaining calm and focused on their boat. In a new lineup, they fought hard from chute to finish, placing the top half of their race, sixth out of 12 boats, and fifth among the high school teams.
“This boat has a ton of potential, and with each new race and new lineup we find more speed and swing. I’m very excited to see their progress continue this season,” said Alix Howie, head coach of the boys HHS Crew team.
The boys 3V included stroke Hanley Stroka, Trevor Steiner, Lachlan Knies, Oliver McLucas, Will Whitrap, Niko Mangili, Owen Cerrato, Brent Strauss in bow, and coxswain Tyler Bastia.
In a field of 16 crews, the girls second varsity boat placed sixth, fourth among the high school teams, following Glastonbury High School, Duxbury Bay Academy, and Bedford High School. Ella Poggenburg coxed Louisa Orth in stroke seat, Dania Thayer, Sophia Santarelli, Genevieve Vale, Taylor Sargent, Jane Betti, Ava Green, and Abrielle Beaudoin in bow.
“This weekend’s race was a great reminder that weather conditions are not always perfect and that we have to adapt,” said Vale. “It helped that we trusted each other to move the boat effectively in these weather conditions. We hope to continue working hard in practice this week so that we can constantly improve and be ready for next weekend.”
The boys second varsity crew also raced in a new lineup. Powerful off the start, the 2V boat navigated the narrows of Lake Quinsigamond in traffic, passing boats as soon as they cleared. They came through the bridge with length and strength, past the beach into the final stretch of the race.
Out of 20 crews, Hingham’s 2V boat placed sixth after BC High, Wayland-Weston High School, St. John’s Prep, St. Johns High School, and Duxbury. Owen Franklin rowed in stroke seat, followed by Jack Burns, Brendan Engel, Arlo Maxwell, Liam Connelly, Kyle Strauss, Owen Weinstein, and Cullen Moriarty in bow, with Jack Levy coxing.
“I think we fought hard, and our potential is there,” said senior and 2V coxswain, Jack Levy. “We’re definitely in for a couple more medals this season, we just have to put our nose to the grindstone and the hard work will pay off.”
Coach Howie added, “This race was a tough one for this boat. Despite dedication, hard work, and good practices, I think we were all frustrated with the outcome. That being said, every week brings new focus and new motivation, and I think big things are in store for this boat the rest of the season.”
The girls first varsity crew placed sixth among high school teams and tenth overall in a field of 22 boats. Alexa Fox coxed stroke Maeve Schnorr, Maisie Knies, Sophie Kerr, Isabelle Wagner, Ava Sugrue, Lynnayah Ryan, Marissa Matthews, and bow Lydia D’Arcy.
“Our team culture has become a lot more competitive this fall,” said Sophie Kerr, senior and HHS Crew team captain. “We are focused on not settling, always wanting more distance, more seats. That being said, we’re so proud of everyone, especially our 1N and 2N boats for getting first and second in their categories! They’ve been making huge gains all season. As a team we will continue to work hard to prove ourselves this weekend in New Hampshire.”
Capping the day with another silver medal for Hingham, the boys first varsity crew placed second out of 25 boats in their race, 11 seconds behind BC High and nine seconds ahead of St. John’s High School in third.
“We were upset after a disappointing finish last week, so we are very happy with the way we bounced back and excited for the work ahead of us in the coming weeks, ” said senior and captain on the team, Josh Bradshaw.
The boys 1V included rowers Sam Ackerman in stroke seat, followed by James Feeley, Walker Bogen, Dylan Drew, Alex Doggett, Will Barry, Josh Bradshaw, and in bow Slater Fairfield, with coxswain Torbjorn Tennebo.
“I am very proud of how the team came together this week,” said Coach Howie. “We had some tough water and wind conditions, and it was definitely a challenge to find our swing. We’re all looking forward to heading to New Hampshire for another great weekend of racing together.”
The HHS Crew team will compete next this Sunday, October 15, in the New Hampshire Championships George Dirth Regatta.
